Packaging means

ABSTRACT

A packaging means includes a first member, in particular a container ( 1 ), a tube or a bottle, having a peripheral wall ( 4 ) which is flexible at at least a portion thereof in a direction perpendicularly to the peripheral direction and a second member in the form of a bandage ( 2 ) which encompasses the peripheral wall ( 4 ) and comprises first inter-engagement means ( 30, 31 ) which can engage in complementary first inter-engagement means ( 11, 12 ) on the peripheral wall of the first member ( 1 ) whereby the bandage and the peripheral wall are jointly deformable in the direction perpendicular to the peripheral direction. The bandage ( 2 ) may consist of a synthetic material having a softer surface texture than that of the synthetic material of the peripheral wall ( 3 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This application is a continuation of International application PCT/EP00/12057, filed on Nov. 30, 2000, and the contents of that application are incorporated by reference herein.

[0002] The invention relates to a packaging means including a first member, in particular a container or a bottle, having a peripheral wall, which is flexible at at least a portion thereof in a direction perpendicularly to the peripheral direction.

[0003] The invention relates in particular to a container for storing cleaning and cosmetic products. Although containers of this kind are frequently made of relatively stiff synthetic materials, they can, due to their shape, experience a desired deformation or inwardly-directed bulging when an external force is applied thereto in order to subject the product stored within the interior of the containers to pressure and thereby facilitate emptying of the containers. The containers may consist e.g. of relatively stiff polyolefines such as PE or PP and consequently they usually have smooth, hard-feeling surfaces onto which product labels etc. can be applied.

[0004] An object of the invention is to provide a packaging means of the type mentioned hereinabove which has surface portions of differing surface texture, but without thereby substantially detracting from the functionality and the external shape thereof. In particular, by the invention, a packaging means shall be provided that has an outer surface which in a conventional manner may be smooth and hard at certain desired portions thereof, while it may be soft at other desirable portions thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] According to the invention, this object is achieved in that there is provided a second member in the form of a bandage which encompasses the peripheral wall of the first member or container and comprises first inter-engagement means which are adapted to engage in complementary first inter-engagement means on said peripheral wall in such a way that the bandage and the peripheral wall are jointly deformable in the direction perpendicular to the peripheral direction. Thus the packaging means according to the invention is a two-part construction in which the two members may be made of different synthetic materials that could have differing surface textures. Nevertheless, the two members can be brought together in such a manner that, from the outside, it appears to the user to be a single member having the external configuration of conventional containers and can thus be manipulated in a same manner. Consequently, the invention enables containers having hard and smooth surfaces at portions thereof but soft and rough surfaces at other portions thereof to be produced in an economical manner, and thus fulfils a long felt, but not previously satisfied, requirement for such types of configuration. Reference is made to the claims in regard to further advantageous embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter by means of an embodiment thereof and the drawing. Therein

[0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of the combination of a fragmentary illustrated container and a bandage according to the invention,

[0008]FIG. 2 is a longitudinally sectioned view of the bandage shown in FIG. 1 when rotated by 180 °,

[0009]FIG. 3 is a top view of the bandage shown in FIG. 2,

[0010]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 1, and

[0011]FIG. 5 is a top view of the container shown in FIG. 4.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The packaging means according to the invention, which may be a container such as a bottle, a tube, or the like, comprises a first member or container bearing the general reference number 1 and a bandage or supplementary member bearing the general reference number 2. The container 1 is shown in a fragmentary manner only near one of its axial ends, the upper end in the present case. However it should be understood that the invention is not limited to this portion of the container 1 but, if so desired, it may be provided in a similar manner at the other axial end of the container or at both axial ends thereof.

[0013] The container 1 has a peripheral wall 3 which has a noncircular cross-section e.g. an oval or rounded rectangular configuration. As a consequence thereof, the peripheral wall 3 has oppositely located broad sides 5, 6 and oppositely located narrow sides 7, 8, c.f. FIG. 5, whereby the broad sides 5, 6 are less rigid than the narrow sides 7, 8 due to their smaller curvature and larger surface areas and consequently they can easily be deformed or bulged radially inwards by means of an external manual force applied thereto. This deformation is desirable since a pressure can thereby be exerted on a product stored in the container 1 thus facilitating the extraction thereof through a not shown outlet opening of the container 1. The container 1 may be made of any suitable synthetic material such as a polyolefine, e.g. polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), and is preferably produced using a blow moulding process in a manner known to a person skilled in the art. If desired, however, other synthetic materials could also be used for the container 1.

[0014] On the peripheral wall 3, as is shown in FIG. 1, there is a peripheral wall portion 4 which is somewhat radially inwardly offset and bounded by a shoulder 9 extending about the container 1, which may be attractively contoured. The peripheral wall portion 4 is axially limited by an end wall 10. The peripheral wall portion 4 can be accommodated in the bandage 2, c. f. FIG. 4. Inter-engagement seats 11, 12 are provided at diametrically opposite positions of the peripheral wall portion 4, which coincide with the broad sides 5, 6 of the container peripheral wall 3, only one of these seats being visible in FIG. 1. Each inter-engagement seat 11, 12 has a groove 13 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the container 1 and has an entrance end that opens axially at the end wall 10, as is shown in FIG. 4. The cross-sectional configuration of the groove 13 is such that an L- or T-shaped inter-engagement rib 30, 31 on the bandage 2 can be accommodated therein, c.f. FIGS. 2 and 3, as will be described in more detail hereinafter. The groove 13 may have a widened portion 14 near the end wall 10 for facilitating the introduction of the inter-engagement rib 30, 31.

[0015] Furthermore, a respective pair of peripherally spaced inter-engagement recesses 15, 15′ and 16, 16′ can be provided at positions of the peripheral wall portion 4, which coincide with the narrow sides 7, 8 of the container 1. Basically, each inter-engagement recess 15, 16 is of identical construction and comprises a rear face 17 located in an axial plane, an inter-engagement surface 18 that is spaced radially outwardly therefrom and is located in an axial plane, and a bottom surface 19 which closes the inter-engagement recess 15, 16 at an axial end thereof remote from the end wall 10 of the container 1, c.f. FIG. 4. The other, opposite axial end of the inter-engagement recess 15, 16 adjacent the end wall 10 is open thereby enabling a respective inter-engagement element 32 or 33 of the bandage 2 to be inserted into the correspondingly aligned inter-engagement recess 15, 16, further details of which will be given hereinafter. The inter-engagement recesses 15, 16 and the inter-engagement elements 32, 33 contribute to prevent a relative rotation between the container 1 and the bandage 2.

[0016] A radially outwardly projecting latching ridge 20 is provided on the rear face 17 of each inter-engagement recess 15, 16, said ridge being engageable from below by radially inwardly projecting latching cams 34 on the inter-engagement elements 32, 33 of the bandage 2 so as to fix the bandage 2 relative to the container 1 in an axial sense.

[0017] The bandage 2 will next be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. As is depicted in FIG. 2, the bandage 2 comprises a peripheral wall 21, which has oppositely disposed broad sides 22, 23 and narrow sides 24, 25 in a similar manner to that of the peripheral wall portion 4 of the container 1. One of the narrow sides 24, 25 can have a greater axial extent than the other narrow side. The peripheral wall 21 has an end edge 26 which can engage with the shoulder 9 of the container peripheral wall 3 in such a way that the outer surfaces of the peripheral wall 21 of the bandage 2 and the peripheral wall 3 of the container 1 will be flush with one another when the upper end portion of the container 1 is accommodated in the bandage 2. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the bandage 2 has a bottom 28 in which an opening 29 can be provided.

[0018] An inter-engagement rib 30, 31 projects inwardly from each inner surface of the broad sides 22, 23. Each inter-engagement rib 30 and 31 can be accommodated in an associated inter-engagement recess 11 and 12 of the container 1 and has an axial length matched to that of the groove 13 in the related inter-engagement seat 11, 12, whereby the cross-sectional configuration of the rib is such as to enable an inter-engaging relationship in the manner of a dovetail joint to be obtained between the inter-engagement rib 30, 31 and the inter-engagement seat 11, 12. Although other cross-sectional configurations could be provided, the inter-engagement ribs 30, 31 here each have a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional configuration and, in consequence, is thus formed in correspondence with the cross-section of the groove 13 in the inter-engagement seat 11, 12 of the container 1. A T-shaped or other head/stem configuration could be provided if so desired.

[0019] The cross-section of the inter-engagement seat 11, 12 preferably tapers from the end wall side thereof towards the opposite end so that when the inter-engagement ribs 30, 31 are introduced into the inter-engagement seats 11, 12 there will not only be an interlocking but also frictional engagement therebetween.

[0020] As a consequence of the measures explained hereinabove, a deformation caused by an external force on the peripheral wall 3 or the peripheral wall portion 4 of the container 1 will be transferred via the inter-engagement ribs 30, 31 to the bandage 2 so that the latter will participate in the deformation in essentially like manner, whereby an outer appearance of the container 1 and the bandage 2 will thereby be conveyed which substantially corresponds to that of a container without a bandage.

[0021] As can be further seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, a respective pair of peripherally spaced latching elements 32 and 33 can project axially from the bottom 28 of the bandage 2 near the narrow sides 24, 25 at diametrically opposite positions of the bandage 2, whereby these latching elements can be accommodated in the appertaining pairs of inter-engagement recesses 15, 15′ and 16, 16′ of the container 1. Each inter-engagement element 32, 33 has an angled cross-section and thus can form an inter-engaging relationship with the inter-engagement surface 18 of the relevant inter-engagement recess 15, 16. Furthermore, latching cams 34 project from the inter-engagement elements 32, 33, said cams can engage under the latching strip 20 of the related inter-engagement recesses 15, 16 of the container 1 so as to fix the axial position of the bandage 2 relative to the container 1. For this purpose, there also serves a nose 35 which projects from the peripheral edge 26 of the bandage 2 in the vicinity of a narrow side 24 and is adapted to engage under an engagement surface 36 on the container peripheral portion 4 near the shoulder edge 9.

[0022] In regard to the surface texture thereof, the bandage 2 may be formed in an arbitrary manner independently of the container peripheral wall 3. In particular, the bandage 2 may consist entirely or at least on its outer peripheral surface of a synthetic material, which produces a softer and/or differently structured surface compared to that of the peripheral wall 3 of the container 1. For example, the bandage 2 may be a two-component injection moulded part which is formed by injection moulding different synthetic materials whereby an outer layer, which creates the outer surface of the bandage 2 and consists of a suitable, softer, second synthetic material such as an elastomeric material, is moulded onto an inner layer consisting of a suitable first synthetic material such as a polyolefine e.g. PP or PE. A two-component injection moulding process using materials of this type is known per se and consequently does not need to be described in more detail here.

[0023] It is also possible to introduce the softer material into a number of perforations distributed over the peripheral wall 21 of the bandage 2 so that a plurality of stud-like structures will be formed by the softer material on the outer surface of the peripheral wall 21.

[0024] The invention was described hereinbefore on the basis of a bandage, which is constructed in such a manner as to completely accommodate an end portion of the container 1. However, the bandage could also be in the form of an annular bottomless element which merely encompasses a peripheral wall portion of the container. Furthermore, provision could be made for the bandage to be simultaneously in the form of a cap member whereby access to the interior of the container could be obtained by means of the opening in the bottom of the bandage. Moreover, although the inter-engagement ribs of the first inter-engagement means are provided on the bandage and the inter-engagement recesses are provided on the container in the previously described embodiment of the invention, it is possible to reverse the arrangement especially if the packaging means according to the invention were to be an injection moulded part rather than a blow moulded part. The same applies in analogous manner for the second inter-engagement means in the form of the inter-engagement recesses and the inter-engagement elements on the related members of the packaging means. 

I claim:
 1. A packaging means including a first member, in particular a container, a tube or a bottle, having a peripheral wall which is flexible at at least a portion thereof in a direction perpendicularly to the peripheral direction, characterised by a second member in the form of a bandage (2) which encompasses the peripheral wall (3, 4) and comprises first inter-engagement means (30, 31) adapted to engage with complementary first inter-engagement means (11, 12) on the peripheral wall of the first member (1) whereby the bandage and the peripheral wall are jointly deformable in said direction perpendicular to the peripheral direction.
 2. The packaging means according to claim 1, characterised in that the first inter-engagement means comprise on one of said members at least a pair of inter-engagement ribs (30, 31) essentially axially extending and provided at oppositely located positions of the peripheral wall (3) of the first member (1) and the bandage (2), said inter-engagement ribs being insertible axially into complementarily extending inter-engagement seats (11, 12) on the other of said members.
 3. The packaging means according to claim 2, characterised in that each inter-engagement rib (30, 31) has a substantially L- or T-shaped cross-sectional configuration.
 4. The packaging means according to claim 1, characterised in that the first inter-engagement means (11, 12, 30, 31) have a complementary conical construction for additionally creating an clamped seating.
 5. The packaging means according to claim 2, characterised in that each inter-engagement seat (11, 12) is provided on the peripheral wall (3) of the first member (1), and each inter-engagement rib (30, 31) is provided on the bandage (2).
 6. The packaging means according to claim 1, characterised in that second inter-engagement means (32, 33) are provided on the bandage (2) at positions which are different from the locations of the first inter-engagement means, said second inter-engagement means being adapted to engage with complementary second inter-engagement means (15, 16) on the peripheral wall (3) of the first member (1) so as to prevent relative rotation between the bandage and the peripheral wall.
 7. The packaging means according to claim 6, characterised in that the second inter-engagement means (15, 16, 32, 33) further comprise complementary latching means (20, 34) for fixing the axial position of the bandage (2) relative to the peripheral wall (3).
 8. The packaging means according to claim 6, characterised in that the second inter-engagement means (15, 16, 32) are provided at oppositely located positions of the bandage (2) and the peripheral wall (3).
 9. The packaging means according to claim 6, characterised in that the second inter-engagement means each comprise a peripherally spaced pair of inter-engagement recesses (15, 16) on the peripheral wall (3) adapted to accommodate a pair of complementary spaced inter-engagement elements (32, 33) on the bandage (2).
 10. The packaging means according to claim 6, characterised in that the first and second inter-engagement means (11, 12, 30, 31; 15, 16, 32, 33) are provided at mutually orthogonally displaced locations having differing rigidity of the peripheral wall (3) and the bandage (2).
 11. The packaging means according to claim 1, characterised in that the bandage (2) surrounds an end portion (4) of the peripheral wall (3) in cap-like manner and comprises a bottom (28).
 12. The packaging means according to claim 1, characterised in that the bandage (2) consists of a synthetic material having a softer outer surface texture than that of the synthetic material of the peripheral wall (3).
 13. The packaging means according to claim 11, characterised in that the synthetic material having the softer outer surface texture is an elastomeric material.
 14. The packaging means according to claim 1, characterised in that the bandage (2) and the peripheral wall (3) have complementary flexible broad sides and stiff narrow sides, and in that the first inter-engagement means (11, 12; 30, 31) are provided on the flexible broad sides. 